After introducing a constitution that limited presidents to a single term, Aquino did not stand for re-election.[9] Aquino was succeeded by Fidel V. Ramos. During this period the country's economic performance remained modest, with a 3.6%[10] percent GDP growth rate.[11] Political stability and economic improvements, such as the peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front in 1996,[12] were overshadowed by the onset of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.[13][14]
With the People Power Revolution, Corazon Aquino's assumption into power marked the restoration of democracy in the country. Aquino immediately formed a revolutionary government to normalize the situation, and provided for a transitional "Freedom Constitution" that restored civil liberties and dismantled the heavily Marcos-ingrained bureaucracy— abolishing the Batasang Pambansa and relieving all public officials.[50]
The Aquino administration likewise appointed a constitutional commission that submitted a new permanent constitution that was ratified and enacted in February 1987.[51] The constitution crippled presidential power to declare martial law, proposed the creation of autonomous regions in the Cordilleras and Muslim Mindanao, and restored the presidential form of government and the bicameral Congress.[52]
Progress was made in revitalizing democratic institutions and respect for civil liberties, but Aquino's administration was also viewed as weak and fractious, and a return to full political stability and economic development was hampered by several attempted coups staged by disaffected members of the Philippine military.[53] Aquino privatized many of the utilities the government owned, such as water and electricity. This practice was viewed by many as Aquino catering to oligarchic as well U.S. interests, losing the government's power of regulation.
Economic growth was additionally hampered by a series of natural disasters. In June 1991, Mount Pinatubo in Central Luzonerupted, after being dormant for 600 years. It was the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. It left 700 dead and 200,000 homeless, and cooled global weather by 1.5 °C (34.7 °F).[54][55][56][57]
On September 16, 1991, despite lobbying by President Aquino, the Philippine Senate rejected a treaty that would have allowed a 10-year extension of the U.S. military bases in the country. The United States turned over Clark Air Base in Pampanga to the government in November,[6] and Subic Bay Naval Base in Zambales in December 1992, ending almost a century of U.S. military presence in the Philippines.[5]
Early in his administration, Ramos declared "national reconciliation" his highest priority. He legalized the Communist Party and created the National Unification Commission (NUC), chaired by lawyer Manuel C. Herrera, to lay the groundwork for talks with communist insurgents, Muslim separatists, and military rebels. In June 1994, Ramos signed into law a general conditional amnesty covering all rebel groups, and Philippine military and police personnel accused of crimes committed while fighting the insurgents. In October 1995, the government signed an agreement bringing the military insurgency to an end.
A standoff with China occurred in 1995, when the Chinese military built structures on Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands claimed by the Philippines as Kalayaan Islands.
Ramos was heavily criticized for his liberal economic policies,[58] such as passing an oil-deregulation law, thus inflating prices of gasoline products.[59] Ramos was also criticized for alleged corruption in his handling of the Philippine Centennial Exposition and the PEA-AMARI land deal, in which Ramos allegedly received kickbacks amounting to millions of pesos.[60]
A peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under Nur Misuari, a major Muslim separatist group fighting for an independent Bangsamoro homeland in Mindanao, was signed in 1996, ending the 24-year-old struggle. However an MNLF splinter group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under Salamat Hashim continued the armed Muslim struggle for an Islamic state.
The 1998 elections were won by former movie actor and Vice President Joseph Ejercito Estrada (PMP-LAMMP) with overwhelming mass support, with close to 11 million votes. The other ten candidates included his closest rival and administration candidate, House Speaker Jose De Venecia (Lakas-NUCD-UMDP) with 4.4 million votes, Senator Raul Roco (Aksyon Demokratiko), former Cebu governor Emilio Osmeña (PROMDI) and Manila mayor Alfredo Lim (LP).
Estrada assumed office amid the Asian Financial Crisis. The economy did, however, recover from it. From a low −0.6% growth in 1998 to a moderate growth of 3.4% by 1999.[61][62][63][64][65][66] Like his predecessor there was a similar attempt to change the 1987 Constitution under a process termed as CONCORD or Constitutional Correction for Development. Unlike the proposed changes under Ramos and Arroyo, the CONCORD proposal, according to its proponents, would only amend the 'restrictive' economic provisions of the constitution that are considered as impediments to the entry of more foreign investments in the Philippines. However, Estrada was not successful in amending the constitution.
On March 21, 2000, President Estrada declared an "all-out-war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after the worsening secessionist movement in Mindanao.[67][68] The government later captured 46 MILF camps including the MILF's headquarters: Camp Abubakar.[69][70][71]
In October 2000, Ilocos Sur governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, a close friend of Estrada, accused the President of receiving collections from jueteng, an illegal numbers game.
On November 13, 2000, the House of Representatives impeached Estrada on grounds of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the constitution. His impeachment trial in the Senate began on December 7, but broke down on January 17, 2001, after 11 senators allied with Estrada successfully blocked the opening of confidential bank records that would have been used by the prosecution to incriminate the President. In response, millions of people massed up at the EDSA Shrine, where in 1986 the People Power Revolution had ousted Marcos, demanding Estrada's immediate resignation in what became known as "EDSA II". Estrada's cabinet resigned en masse and the military and police withdrew their support. On January 20, the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared the presidency vacant and swore in Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the country's 14th President. Estrada and his family evacuated the Malacañan Palace soon after.
Nevertheless, Estrada himself stood before the Supreme Court on grounds that he did not resign, but just went on an indefinite leave. The Supreme Court upheld the legitimacy of Arroyo with finality on March 2, 2001.
Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (the daughter of the late President Diosdado Macapagal) was sworn in as Estrada's successor on the day of his departure. Estrada and his allies later challenged the legitimacy of Arroyo's government, arguing that the transfer of power to Arroyo was unconstitutional because he did not resign from office, but the Supreme Court twice upheld Arroyo's legitimacy. After Estrada was arrested on plunder charges in April 2001, thousands of his supporters staged an "EDSA III" to demand his reinstatement through rallies, but by the early morning of May 1, the protesters marched to Malacañang Palace and attempted to storm the premises. The attempt failed when authorities arrived to quell the uprising outside Malacañang's gates. Arroyo's accession to power was further legitimated by the mid-term congressional and local elections held in May 2001, when her coalition won an overwhelming victory.[72]
Arroyo's initial term in office was marked by fractious coalition politics as well as a military mutiny in Manila in July 2003 that led her to declare a month-long nationwide state of rebellion.[72] Although she had declared in December 2002 that she would not contest the May 2004 presidential election, citing a need to heal divisiveness, she reversed herself in October 2003 and decided to run.[72] She was re-elected and sworn in for her own six-year term as president on June 30, 2004.
In 2005, a tape of a wiretapped conversation surfaced bearing the voice of Arroyo apparently asking an election official if her margin of victory can be maintained.[73] The tape sparked protests calling for Arroyo's resignation.[73] Arroyo admitted to inappropriately speaking to an election official, but denied allegations of fraud and refused to step down.[73] Attempts to impeach the president failed later that year.
On May 11, 2010, outgoing PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo signed an administrative order, creating the Presidential Transition Cooperation Team.[78] Arroyo instructed outgoing Executive SecretaryLeandro Mendoza to lead the transition team.[78] The transition team was created "to ensure peaceful, orderly and [efficient] transition on the 30th of June".[78] On June 9, 2010, the transition team started informal meetings with the Aquino transition team.[79]
The presidential residence of Aquino is the Bahay Pangarap (English: House of Dreams),[81] located inside of Malacañang Park,[82] at the headquarters of the Presidential Security Group across the Pasig River from Malacañan Palace.[81][83] Aquino is the first president to make Bahay Pangarap his official residence.[84][85] Aquino refused to live in Malacañan Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines, or in Arlegui Mansion, the residence of former presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos, stating that the two residences are too big,[81] and also stated that his small family residence at Times Street in Quezon City would be impractical, since it would be a security concern for his neighbors.[83]
In middle of October to November 2016, President Duterte announced numerous times his shift to ties with China and Russia. The president also blasted the United States and Barack Obama, as well as the United Nations and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, numerous times in various live interviews and speeches while in the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, and Laos.[111][112][113][114][115][116]
On November 8, 2016, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled in favor of the burial of the late president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the country's official cemetery for heroes, provoking protests from various groups.[117]
Duterte initiated the "Build, Build, Build" program in 2017 that aimed to usher the Philippines into a new "golden age of infrastructure"[118] and was expected to create more jobs and business opportunities, which, in turn, would sustain the country's economic growth and accelerate poverty reduction.[119] The construction industry needs two million more workers to sustain the program.[120][121] The program is made up of numerous projects in various sectors, such as air, rail, and road transport as well as other public utilities and infrastructures.[122][123] The country is expected to spend $160 billion to $180 billion up to 2022 for the public investments in infrastructure.[124] The program has been linked to supporting recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.[125]
In 2017, Duterte signed the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which provides for free tuition and exemption from other fees in public universities and colleges for Filipino students, as well as subsidies for those enrolled in private higher education institutions. He also signed 20 new laws, including the Universal Health Care Act, the creation of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, establishing a national cancer control program, and allowing subscribers to keep their mobile numbers for life.[126]
Duterte initiated liberal economic reforms by amending the Foreign Investment Act of 1991 and the Public Service Act to attract foreign investors, and reformed the country's tax system by signing the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act while raising sin taxes on non-essential goods. He took measures to eliminate corruption, red tape, and money laundering by establishing the freedom of information under the Executive branch, signing the Ease of Doing Business Act, creating the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, and strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In agricultural policy, he liberalized rice imports by signing the Rice Tariffication Law to stabilize rice prices, granted free irrigation to small farmers, signed the Sagip Saka Act, and created a trust fund for coconut farmers.
Duterte signed the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act. He signed the automatic enrollment of all Filipinos under the government's health insurance program through the Universal Health Care Act, signed the Philippine Mental Health Law, signed a law establishing Malasakit Centers in public hospitals, ordered the full implementation of the Reproductive Health Law, banned smoking in public places nationwide, and set a price cap on select medicines. He oversaw the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, implementing strict lockdown measures causing in 2020 a 9.5% contraction in the country's GDP, which eventually recovered to 5.6% in 2021 following gradual reopening of the economy and implementing a nationwide vaccination drive.
Duterte's domestic approval rating has been relatively high throughout his presidency.
In May 2022, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (known by his nickname "Bongbong"), son of former president Ferdinand Marcos, won the presidential election by landslide. His vice presidential candidate was Sara Duterte, daughter of then-president Rodrigo Duterte.[127] On June 30, 2022, Marcos was sworn in as the Philippine president and Sara Duterte was sworn in as vice-president.[128]
^Maniago, E (2007). "Communication Variables Favoring Celebrity Candidates in Becoming Politicians: A Case Study of the 1998 and 2004 Elections in the Philippines". Southeast Asian Studies. 44 (4): 494–518. hdl:2433/53866.
^"2 US Navy men, 1 Marine killed in Sulu land mine blast". GMA News. September 29, 2009. Archived from the original on October 2, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009. Two US Navy personnel and one Philippine Marine soldier were killed when a land mine exploded along a road in Indanan, Sulu Tuesday morning, an official said. The American fatalities were members of the US Navy construction brigade, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. told GMANews.TV in a telephone interview. He did not disclose the identities of all three casualties. and Pessin, Al (September 29, 2009). "Pentagon Says Troops Killed in Philippines Hit by Roadside Bomb". Voice of America. Retrieved January 12, 2011.[permanent dead link] and "Troops killed in Philippines blast". Al Jazeera. September 29, 2009. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009. and Gomez, Jim (September 29, 2009). "2 US troops killed in Philippines blast". CBS News. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
^Fletcher, Matthew; Lopez, Antonio. "THE LOPEZ DYNASTY". CNN. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021. Many complain that under President Fidel Ramos's liberal economic policies, entrenched business clans have been tightening their hold on major industries.
Visiting Forces Agreement Full text document of the Visiting Forces Agreement signed by the Philippines and United States of America
Counterpart Agreement Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines regarding the Treatment of Republic of the Philippines Personnel Visiting the United States of America